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Subjugation
Hemosans had left their compatriots to find their fortunes, once again heading northward. Out of gratitude for the sacrifices in stopping the plague from consuming them all, the descendant of the Servant assured them their lands and power would remain untouched. Though the northern lords were individually weaker than their Duralian counterparts, together they outmatched them. Acknowledging the service to all peoples, the Hemosan kings pledged aid and promised unity in face of external threats. They left in peace to settle and eventually begin their religiously mandated struggle against one another. They had settled and expanded until rumors of settlement attacks reached Kreisgrad. Kreis, always seeking to hide from his namesake and popularity, gathered a few other heroes of the resistance to find the new threat. It was not long until horsemen found them out on the plains. Kreis’ expedition was horribly outnumbered and outmaneuvered and asked to treat with the leadership. To their surprise, he learned their adversary had fled the old continent, same as them. These others, calling themselves ‘Valanites’ after their prophet had thought the followers of the Servant’s descendant were traitors in their war. Upon landing, their leader found and made war on the humanoid natives, calling them ‘Shekami’, a popular insult from the old continent. Guaranteeing the attacks would stop, the descendant of the Servant, now called Kaiser, sent emissaries. Valanites called their abundant lands Orinia and as they had no clear nobility among them, they had adopted a republic. Kaiser Tavian was an old man who had dreamed of a unified humanity in the face of so much peril. However, he had decided against subjugating the southern lands despite the priesthoods, northern delegation, and Society of Inquisitive Minds protests. Trade deals were drawn and the Valanites left in peace. Tavian was dead within days and his son was easily swayed by the advisors to invade. Weary but trusting, drab Duralian conscripts were joined by colorful Hemosan forces in their march. Though the Valanites were taken by surprise, their light cavalry wreaked havoc through the invader’s forces. Eventually, the main army of Orinia was trapped and defeated by the Duralians and Hemosans. The capital of Orinia, Loshire, hid itself in the midst of a large swamp on the southern coast. Though surrounded by gnarled stagnation, Loshire was a pleasant oasis from the near tropical surrounding, located on a rocky outcropping. The Kaiser’s ships found and occupied the mostly undefended city. Occupation Occupying Loshire, the child Kaiser saw a thoroughly demoralized population. After beating terrible odds against the Shekami, they were laid low by fellow humans. The Kaiser, his aide, and the leadership of combined humanity met to forge a treaty with the defeated southerners, determined to furnish defeat with dignity. A fierce debate lasted for 24 hours. The Kaiser and his aide, Victor, negotiated the surrender. Upset with the war and sensing betrayal against his father’s wishes by the council who initiated the invasion, the Valanites were granted generous terms for a final parting gift. Orinia was allowed to maintain autonomy. As part of the new empire, they could self-govern and keep their faith in Valan. Their fledgling church and laws were to remain intact with interests subordinated to Kreisgrad. A tithe of food production and taxes was agreed to and the Valanites were able to maintain a standing militia. In return, protection was extended by the other two nations. Lobotomized Cursed were also rented to the massive communal farms, massively boosting food output. The defeated Valanites returned to their capital and surrendered their arms. Over three weeks the news of the Loshire Compact spread by messenger. Dissenters were hunted and rogue Cursed who had escaped the Valanite purges were found or driven away with the might of three nations. Continuing to move east revealed the new human lands rested on a peninsula. Blocked by a mighty mountain range with only one wide pass, the fortress of Dagger’s Point was built to protect any further incursion from Shekami war-hosts. State Security was formed by the Kaiser’s aide and friend Victor with his small retinue. Creating a State from Three Nations As the lands were fully mapped out, the newcomers discovered they had finally found space to expand. Stretching from Kreisgrad to the west and Dagger’s Point to the east, the nascent Autocracy solidified its position. Cities grew quickly with the Cursed’s power allowing for crude mass production. Particularly loyal or productive members of the elite were granted a marque to purchase lobotomized Cursed to run production lines. The Legions formed from repurposing the various militias and militaries of all three nations under direct control of the Kaiser from Kreisgrad. Though all nations kept their informal militias, including Duralian townships, much manpower was drafted into the multinational force. Unification saw a fully manned and equipped government. At the same time, members of the council who had instigated the war with Orinia were assassinated quietly, their deaths never investigated. All of them bearing cavalry saber wounds or disappearing in the night. Humanity repopulated quickly. Spreading large enclaves throughout the peninsula, equipped and fed by increasingly industrial production and farming. They found that there were other human states within the continent and Shekami ruled over much of the interior. House Riker of the north explored up the continent and into Thant. Not much was known about the purple light called the ‘Harbinger’ except their House’s might was eaten away by the thing. Thant became a minor House run by the Society of Inquisitive Minds as they suffered a schism during the events leading to Riker’s weakening. The Inquisition formed from the schism. A clandestine organization inspired by whatever transpired in Thant lead some of the academics to become a sort of internal vigilante group with connections across the black market, underworld, and even the church. * Previous: A Cure for Madness * Next: Deluge of Xan